dare 34

Today I told my husband that I love that he tries to set a good example to the kids when it comes to bedtime prayers. Though my husband will rarely acctually say the prayer with us, he does join us for prayer time & he is working with our youngest son on making the sign of the cross correctly. He said he doesn't like the prayer we say (it's very basic, but with hand gesture...they're kids), so I said I am open to suggestions and am willing to work with anything he might like to change or incorporate. Honestly, I was a little surprised by how much he acctually cared about it. Religion was not something we really talked about, we just did the routines. So i was pleasantly surprised.

My husband and I had a nice conversation last night out of the blue. He came upstairs to where I was and started a conversation with me. We talked about stuff going on (mostly financial) & I asked him how he felt about the steps being taken & he opened up a very little to me about it. This morning he texted me some good news about the situation...I just said I was happy for him :) We even went grocery shopping together in the evening- all of us, even the kids! My husband and I used to do the shopping together all the time when we were dating & first married, but as the years past, it was mostly me going out to do the shopping. So it was nice. But then things go silent again. I am trying to not read into it and I really am not...but these ups and downs are hard to handle sometimes!

I have been spending a lot of time in prayer & it helps me get through the rough times. I feel comforted. It's still not 100%easy & I still steer my focus toward my husband sometimes, but in the end I just hand it all over to God and trust in Him completely. It's the only thing that works.

So Christ is working in him... He is being convicted of prayer. Praise God.

But remember prayer is not something basic. It is one of the most important things in your journey. Your kids are young. And they should be taught the ways to pray now. In the appendix is some great guidance on prayer, you should look over it.

It seems things are progressing with your husband slowly... All Christ to work. It will all come together.

Thanks Sean... I'm praying for the guidance to help me teach my kids how to pray... It's hard for me because it was something forced on me when I was young but I didn't really understand it. So I want my kids to know the purpose & enjoy it, does that make sense? They're 3 & 5 years old, so at an age where they can talk& listen, but I'm not sure they understand the whole concept of God yet. I guess it's a little lesson at a time. I was thinking of adding in a short childs bible story at storytime... It might help them.

I do feel God is at work.... And slowly. That's the part that is hard! I always like to see instant results- though it's so unrealistic! I'm the type that will go run several miles & come home to step on the scale & see how much I weigh now.... So unrealistic! I pray for patience daily because I know it's a great flaw of mine! That & unrealistic expectations! LOL!

I guess it's just taking it one good or bad day at s time, lots of prayer & complete trust in God.

Remember in this journey it is not only building you to be a testimony to your spouse. But to everyone around you including you children. So, learning to pray and with them it will sink in as the time goes on, and they will grow along with you... And you will be surprised what you will learn reading the Childs Bible stories to them.

The expectations you have are not unrealistic. Because with God all things are possible. However, think of it this way. This journey is a molding process. How much would you really learn without the process.

But I can also tell you this. Be excited about the process, knowing Christ is working on you every minute of every day, that true happiness is on the horizon. And remember, True Love has no Void. And Christ is that true love.

One thing I am learning through my journey is TRUE patience. I have to learn to wait upon the Lord and to celebrate every step along the way. I have learned to celebrate whatever the Lord gives me each day. Along the way I now see my husband respond to my testimony (maybe not the way I was hoping) but responding nonetheless. So, celebrate I do.

It seems you too have small things to celebrate here ... PTL. Regarding your kids in prayer, open yourself up and let the Lord guide and direct you and your kids. I must tell you that I learned so much from my kid's prayers when they were young like yours. Kids are more open to God than us big people sometimes and we can learn a lot from them.

I am more open to our children about God now. We read a bible story every day & try to "discuss" it (as much as is allowed by a 5, 3 & 1 year old). My kids are learning the joy of giving by picking out and donating toys for the less fortunate this Holiday season, and they are learning the true meaning of the season, Jesus Christ. TO my surprise, I have even overheard my husband talking to them about Jesus and God every now and then. And I think finally, I have come to see that I have all I need, I have the Lord beside me & His love within me. I pray for my husband that he comes to know that love & that the Lord answer his prayers. I am trying to get over the feeling of "i want my husband back" because it's like I tell my kids, you can't always have what you want. And I am trying to work on being more humble and realizing how much I have that so many do not.

Just as you expect the pounds to come off. The same thing here with the dare. Even though the scale may not show (you wife saying 2 or 3), when you work out (growing in Christ) you actually build muscle (the testimony) So you may gain, since muscle is heavier than fat (actually may be 456789) but the scale will tell you what it wants....

I know that last part is harder to justify in the comparison I was using but I still think it was good enough to get the point across!!! LOL.